Ultimate Sacrifice

<p>This book presents an interpretive macro-historical and sociological account of martyrdom. Moving away from the notion of martyrdom as an object of individual behavior and seeing it instead as a significant cultural work performed by communities in the wake of a violent death it provides a novel interpretation of Western political and religious history. In addition to thus redressing the disproportionate attention given to the concept’s relationship to Islam the author offers a new perspective on two defining historical processes: secularization and the rise of modern sovereignty in the form of the nation-state. An innovative analysis of the role of sacrifice in contemporary culture which constitutes a timely critique of long-dominant theories of disenchantment and the privatization of religion <i>The Ultimate Sacrifice </i>will appeal to sociologists and social theorists with interests in religion politics and the connection between the two.</p>